This is a blog for Texas State students taking FCS 4347 (Family Policy) to be able to post their weekly reading assignment (3 newspaper articles about issues or policies that effect individuals and families) and to write their reactions, opinions and implications of the articles.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

On the Edge of Poverty, at the Center of a Debate on Food Stamps

Week #1 Article #2
1. Sheryl Stolberg. (September 4, 2013).
On the Edge of Poverty, at the Center of a Debate on Food StampsNew York Times
2. Category of Problem: Social Assistance

3. Level of Problem: National

4. This article concerns: Government tries to cut food stamps and enforces requirements that need to be met.

5. Importance/affect on families/individuals: This affects families because many poor working families work hard to put food on their table for their children and the government wants to cut food stamps by enforcing work requirements and eliminating waivers.
Working families rely heavily on receiving their food stamps for the month so they can eat and provide food to their families. By putting up barriers from receiving food stamps is morally wrong and the government should look into the best interest for young children, pregnant mothers and the disabled.

6. My input: My view on the government cutting food stamps is that they are very shameful and they do not understand that families and individuals rely on it to get by during the month.
Foods stamps are a necessary and vital program for the poor and to bring them up to basic nutritional standards. A lot of children depend on food stamps to get daily three meals in which is important for their bodies to grow healthy.
Starving children aren't able to perform well in school and we wouldn't want them to miss out on a good prosperous future since they aren't receiving their daily nutritional meals. Food stamps should not be seen as a form of charity but as a means of aide to those who aren't able to work or are disabled or for those who don't make as much.

2 comments:

I totally agree with you! I worked for a non-profit for three years and during the summer time, we provided free lunches to the children with partnership through the Capital Area Food Bank. It was so sad to think that sometimes that was the only meal that the children would get. I would see the same hungry residents every day coming back for food. Food stamps are necessary because families and children depend on them to be able to eat outside of school or other extracurricular activities. If the children aren't receiving adequate nutrition, they are less likely to do well in school and can also get sick. Not having the right nutrition also leads to health problems. It is a harsh reality because people do see this as charity and look down on it just because they aren't the one's receiving aide.

In a way I do too agree with you, because there are families out there that are really trying and need just a little help or aide. I also think there should be a better regulation on how the government gives out food stamps. Ive seen too many times people when nice clothes, nice cars, etc. that have food stamps and just abuse them like no ones business. So no I don't think the government should stop giving food stamp aide to families, but come up with stricter rules like having a job and really trying to make ends meet, or if they don't have a job be searching for one like unemployment office requires you to do. Maybe also come up with a drug testing, just do small things like that to try and weed out the families that are not being honest and trying to take everything they can from the government.